SKOWHEGAN — Selectmen will decide Wednesday afternoon if it is a good idea to continue to lease or to buy a used street sweeper for spring cleanup of roadside sand and winter debris.

A special meeting of the Board of Selectmen is set for 4 p.m. in the Council Room of the town office.

The question is whether to spend $25,000 for a 2004 mechanical sweeper, which in turn could be leased to other towns, including Madison, to offset costs, or to continue to lease the equipment, as has been the practice.

The issue first was raised and debated during the March 24 regular meeting of the board when Road Commissioner Greg Dore told selectmen that HP Fairfield, the local company that leased the sweeper, announced it no longer would be in the leasing business but was willing to sell its sweeper. The matter was tabled March 24 because of legal questions over the liability of the town and its insurance coverage.

Dore and Town Manager Christine Almand said it is important to get a consensus this week to get the work done on schedule. The town would put a down payment toward the purchase of the sweeper and use it this spring, pending a final vote of the people at the annual Town Meeting in June.

“I need to get it decided because if we’re not going to do this, I’m going to need to hire somebody to sweep our streets,” Dore said Tuesday. “We need to get a mechanical sweeper in here to pick up the bulk of the sand.”

Street sweeping usually is done the first and second week of April, but this year the work has been pushed back because of continued cold weather and snow.

Showhegan previously leased the sweeper for two weeks at an annual cost of about $8,600 a year, Dore said.

Dore added that if a decision is not reached Wednesday, street sweeping in Skowhegan would be delayed six or seven weeks because state road bids are going out on Thursday, which would tie up leasing agreements to do the state work.

Dore said the plan is to pay for the sweeper in two installments — one payment from this year’s budget, the other from next year’s budget. The plan also calls for leasing the machine to Madison for a week and a day at an annual cost of $4,500 this year and next year. Dore said the combined costs over two years from Skowhegan’s normal payment of $8,600 and Madison’s $4,500 would pay for the purchase of the machine and Skowhegan would own it outright.

Tim Curtis, interim town manager in Madison, said selectmen in that town have discussed the idea with Dore and Madison Road Commissioner Glen Mantor and have agreed to the collaboration.

“They have all agreed that it doesn’t cost the town of Madison any more money — we already allocate about $4,500 to lease or rent a street sweeper through HP Fairfield,” Curtis said. “The Board of Selectmen in Madison didn’t see any difference in spending the money with HP Fairfield or spending the money with Skowhegan if they have the equipment.”

Dore said the $25,000 is a fair price for the sweeper.

He said Skowhegan would be responsible for the maintenance, repair and upkeep of the machine. Historically, HP Fairfield paid about $3,000 a year for upkeep, which is less than the $4,500 that would be collected from Madison in rental fees and would offset maintenance costs of the machine.

Dore said the insurance cost would be routine payments for another piece of town equipment. Madison’s insurance costs would be the same as if they were leasing from HP Fairfield and would list Skowhegan as an additional insurer on their policy.

Dore said the purchase plan gives the town an opportunity to reduce its annual budget and to get the street sweeping done almost at no cost for the next few years.

He said the local school district also has shown interest in participating in the leasing agreement.

Doug Harlow — 612-2367

[email protected]

Twitter: @Doug_Harlow